& sign

[balazsbotond]

   struct Node;
   typedef Node *Node_ptr;

   struct Node {
      char word[MAX_WORD_LENGTH];
      Node_ptr ptr_to_next_node;
   };

   void delete_node(Node_ptr &a_list, char a_word[]);

What does & mean here? Is it the same as "Node_ptr& a_list" (a reference to a pointer)?

[laserlight]

Yes, the whitespace here is insignificant.

[brewbuck]

What does & mean here? Is it the same as "Node_ptr& a_list" (a reference to a pointer)?

Yes. Whitespace never matters in C++.

[Daved]

I wouldn't say "never". But it doesn't in this case.

[brewbuck]

I wouldn't say "never". But it doesn't in this case.

Yeah, I've had problems in the past with nested template declarations, having to put space between '<' and '>' characters. I thought it was a broken compiler.

[laserlight]

Yeah, I've had problems in the past with nested template declarations, having to put space between '<' and '>' characters. I thought it was a broken compiler.

I believe that is due to a 'bug' in the C++ Standard, due to be fixed in the next revision of the Standard.

[brewbuck]

I believe that is due to a 'bug' in the C++ Standard, due to be fixed in the next revision of the Standard.

I always thought the use of "<>" for template stuff was stupid. It should have been "[]". The problem is that '<<' and '>>' are tokens so there has to be some hairy interaction between the parser and the lexer to get it right. If they had only chosen "[]" instead there would have been no such problems.

[balazsbotond]

Thanks!

[CornedBee]

You'd be exchanging one problem for another. Look at this:

foo[5]

Under your syntax, is that the type "array of five foos" or is it "template foo instantiated with 5 as the value of its non-type template parameter"?

[brewbuck]

You'd be exchanging one problem for another. Look at this:

foo[5]

Under your syntax, is that the type "array of five foos" or is it "template foo instantiated with 5 as the value of its non-type template parameter"?

Good point.